


Somewhere in the snow

by fifthnorthumberland



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Christmas Fluff, F/F, First Christmas, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, Love Confessions, Multi, Polyamory
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-24
Updated: 2014-12-24
Packaged: 2018-03-03 04:47:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,054
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2838512
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fifthnorthumberland/pseuds/fifthnorthumberland
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lydia invites everyone to her family gathering at a cottage in Vermont for the holidays. Pretty much everyone declines to stay at home with their family but her girlfriend, Kira, and their friend Malia, who hasn’t been close to her dad since she came back from being a coyote. While they enjoy the winter fun and holiday cheer, Malia starts to feel like her feelings for her friends are becoming impossible to hide.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Somewhere in the snow

**Author's Note:**

  * For [devbneo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/devbneo/gifts).



> I hope you enjoy this fic!

It seems like a good idea. The last Christmas Malia spent alone with her dad was sad and made her wish she was elsewhere, anywhere, preferably not as a human. It’s not like she has other relatives to go visit. Spending the holidays at Lydia’s family cottage sounds pretty amazing. Christmas doesn’t mean much to her, but when she sees how excited Kira gets when she accepts Lydia’s invitation to celebrate it with her and her girlfriend, she gets that it must be important to them.

They book three flights to Vermont.

-

She goes Christmas shopping with Kira and Lydia a week before leaving. She watches them hold hands and walks beside them while they look through shop windows, the wind blowing their hair from their face. Her hands are cold. She puts them in her pockets and leads them on towards their destination. She’ll be fine.

-

It hits her like the cold gush of wind that sends her scarf flying into her face as they exit the airport in Vermont: she’s going to spend five days with Kira and Lydia. Mostly surrounded with people she doesn’t know in an unfamiliar environment. Worry fills her at the thought of not being able to hide her feelings for her best friends in that setting. She realizes then how much she dreads spending time alone with them, how she’ll have to watch them exchange kisses and gifts and hold hands.

They all wait by the exit for Lydia’s aunt Dominique to come pick them up. Lydia told Kira and Malia about Dominique while they were in the plane, turning in her seat to face Malia in the seat behind. Dominique is her godmother and the only living queer member of her family. She won’t say, but Malia knows Lydia’s excited to see her and share her recent coming out experience with her. It hasn’t been tough on Lydia or Kira to come out to their parents, but Malia’s well placed to sympathize with not being fully understood by your parents. Having her aunt to talk to is probably going to be a relief for Lydia.

A van pulls up in front of them and a tall short-haired Black woman steps out of the vehicle. Lydia walks up to her and pulls her into a tight hug.

“Dominique.” she says into her aunt’s thick coat, smiling.

“I’m so happy to see you!” her aunt says joyfully. “So, who are your friends?”

“This is Malia and Kira.”

“Nice to meet you, I’m Dominique, this little lady’s aunt.” she says as she shakes their hand each. “Come on, let’s get going. Your mom’s waiting for us at the cottage with supper.”

They haul their bags to the back of the van and Dominique opens the side door for them before getting in the driver’s seat. Malias’s heart yearns as Lydia holds open the door for Kira who courteously thanks her and giggles as she gets in, the same way it always does whenever Kira replaces Lydia’s hair behind her ear or when they sit close together at gatherings.

It’s going to be a long five days.

-

Supper with Lydia’s mother, aunts, uncles, cousins, and everyone’s partners is surprisingly easy. Malia expected a fancy cottage and an uptight and judgemental family, based on what she’s seen of Lydia’s relationship with her mom and how they lived back in Beacon Hills. The cottage, however, is cosy and while it’s quite big, it doesn’t lack character. As Lydia’s mother explains, it’s been in the family for three generations and they’ve made it a place to get together as a family. As much as it’s unfamiliar to her, Malia likes that idea.

The food, prepared by some uncle and his son and daughter, is delicious and simple. Even though they are almost twenty around the table, the evening is peaceful and Malia finds herself unwinding in the easy atmosphere. She’s happy to have Kira beside her so she can talk to someone who knows her from time to time, but she makes conversation easily with Dominique, who has a very grounding aura.

After dessert, Kira volunteers to help with the dishes after Lydia starts picking up the plates and Malia decides to follow them. Fifteen minutes later, they’re all three in the kitchen throwing bubbles at each other, giggling and screeching when their shirts get soaked through in spots. Lydia’s mom comes into the kitchen and snorts when she sees them and their soapy hands, laughing as they wash, rinse and dry dishes.

“Alright, girls, don’t make a mess.”

“Okay, mom.” Lydia replies, chuckling.

“When you’re done, I’ll show you to your room.” her mother says.

When they finish, they follow Lydia’s mother to a bedroom with two large beds and a huge window. Malia picks the bed closest to the huge window and leaves the one closest to the bathroom to Kira and Lydia. Lydia starts unpacking, placing her folded clothes on the shelves facing the beds. She announces she’s going to take a shower and Malia pulls out a book. Kira’s still unpacking her bag, so Malia goes to sit on their bed, leaning on the headboard. It’s quiet like that for a moment as Kira unpacks and they hear the shower spray through the door. Once Kira finishes unpacking, she sits beside Malia on the bed and puts her head on Malia’s shoulder, reading with her. Although she’s focused on the story she’s reading, Malia registers the deep contentment she feels at being surrounded by the two girls she loves.

After Lydia comes out of the shower, she comes into the bedroom in a towel, her wet hair lying on her pale shoulders to fetch some sleeping clothes. Both Malia and Kira look up when she comes in, struck by how beautiful she looks this bare. When they go back to reading – or trying to – Lydia smirks to herself as she goes back to the bathroom to change.

-

The next day is the 23rd and, apparently, for the Martin family, that means brunch before a day of outdoor activities. Some of the younger kids are excited about sledding, some of Lydia’s cousins talk about cross-country skiing, and Dominique and Lydia are thinking of going skating on the lake near the property. Malia’s never skated before, but Lydia reassures her that she is an amazing skater and Kira says she’s not half-bad and that they could teach her.

They go rent some skates at a store at the town and head back to the cottage. Malia’s not too sure about the skates. She felt wobbly standing on the single blades at the store, so she can’t imagine what it’ll be like on the ice.

Dominique and her partner Lauren, Kira, Lydia and Malia walk down to the lake in their boots with their skates thrown over their shoulders and carrying some shovels with them. After walking through a forest at the edge of the property for 10 minutes, the groups gets through to a beautiful, frozen, wide lake. There’s a bench to the left where they sit and lace their skates. Lydia tells Malia she’ll help her lace up hers so they’re just right since it’s apparently hard to get at first. She walks over to Malia and holds her hands out so that Malia can help her get on her knees while she’s wearing skates herself. As Lydia pulls at Malia’s laces, Kira explains sighs contentedly and says it’s been years since she skates and this will be her first time on a lake.

“It’s a bit bumpier than on an ice rink, so you’ll have to hold Malia close.” Dominique teases.

“We sure will,” Lydia says to her aunt, and then, to Malia, “Don’t worry, we’ve got you.”

Malia is oddly touched at her earnestness and can’t seem to find words, so she nods and takes Lydia’s hand when she offers it.

Getting up and walking to the lake is easy through the snow, the blades sinking in and making her feel more balanced. But when she sets foot on the ice and feels the blade slide, she clings to Lydia’s forearm tightly. Lydia laughs a little, but beckons Kira to help her stabilize Malia and together they get her to take a few tentative steps on the ice.

It’s frustrating and catastrophic and funny, but after 30 minutes of practicing going a short distance from Kira to Lydia, Malia feels more confident on the skates. Feeling solid on her legs, she attempts to skate to Dominique and falls on her ass. Dominique bursts out laughing, along with Malia and the rest of the group, and helps her up.

From then, Kira and Lydia hold her hands as they skate around the shore of the lake. Maybe Malia shouldn’t be this happy about holding their hands, but it’s almost everything she wants. It feels so real, so close to them being together, that she believes it for a few hours.

When they get off the ice and take off their skates, Malia’s feet are killing her, her nose is running and her ears are freezing, but she’s glowing.

-

At dinner that evening, they have pizza. Everyone’s been running around all day and even the young kids are exhausted and happy. The mood is cheerful when the delivery arrives and as the paper plates and slices of greasy pizza get passed around the table. Sitting beside Lydia and Kira, laughing at a cousin’s joke, Malia is surprised to find that she feels welcomed in this family, like she’s part of it. It makes her yearn for this sense of belonging, for it to be real, but she puts the yearning aside for the time being and enjoys the evening.

-

After hot chocolates are passed around and drank, the kids are put to bed and some charade games are set up. Malia’s exhausted at this point, so she says goodnight to everyone and goes to their room. Once she’s in pyjamas and reading, she hears a knock on the door. Lydia comes in when she tells her it’s okay. She smells happy and it makes Malia relax, calms her. She knows she’s been semi-consciously checking in on every pack member’s well-being through scents and what she instinctively picked up every since they got through the Nogitsune together. Of course she’s noticed how Lydia always seems better around Kira and sometimes when they’re alone, just the two of them. She’s been doing it automatically, checking in through what ways she knows best, on Lydia and Kira. It’s grounding, feels calming to know that they’re okay, happy.

Lydia looks tired as she slips off her heels and sets them by her bed. She sits beside Malia on the bed.

“Would you read it out loud for me?” she asks.

“Yeah. Come here.” Malia says, patting her side. Lydia scoots up to leans against her. Five minutes in, she shifts to lay her head in Malia’s lap. Malia listens to her heartbeat as it slows and watches Lydia fall asleep. She continues reading until Kira comes in around eleven. Kira smiles softly when she sees them like this, Lydia asleep on Malia.

“She was exhausted after the skating, I think.” Kira whispers.

“Yeah, I think so. Should we move her to the other bed?”

“No,” Kira looks at them with a look Malia doesn’t know. “No, it’s good. Let’s not wake her.”

Malia moves Lydia so that her head is on a pillow and falls asleep closely after to the sound of Kira getting ready for bed.

-

The next morning, Kira and Lydia sleep in. Malia tries to stay in bed and catch some extra sleep, but after 15 minutes of failing at falling back asleep, she gets up and walks to the kitchen to grab some breakfast. She walks in on Dominique frying some bacon.

“Good morning, you.” she greets Malia.

“Morning to you”

“How did you sleep?” Dominique inquires as she lays a couple of bacon strips on some paper towel.

“Pretty well, thanks.”

“Ready for another big day?” Dominique takes the egg carton out the fridge as Malia sits down at the small kitchen table.

“Oh, I didn’t know we had plans?”

“Well, Lydia’s mother is planning on doing some last minute shopping and I think Lydia and Kira were thinking of going along. Personally, I was thinking about staying in and doing some cooking for tonight’s big supper. Everyone else is going into town, but you’re welcome to stay and help me and Lauren prepare the food.”

Malia ponders for a moment, but decides on staying here whether or not Lydia and Kira go shopping or not. She’s had enough shopping for the season and there’s nothing she needs to buy now.

“Thanks. I think I’ll stay.”

“Alright. Breakfast?”

“Please, I’m starving!” says Malia as she grabs herself a plate.

-

It’s the afternoon and she’s rolling some cookie dough flat on the counter when Dominique asks her;

“So, when are you going to tell the girls how you feel?”

Malia’s so surprised by the question she suddenly presses down too hard on the pin, digging into the dough.

“Um. I, ugh, I don’t, I don’t have-“

“Oh, honey, spare me. You’re a bit more obvious than you think.” She looks to Lauren who’s carving some meat across the kitchen isle. “At least, to the trained eye.”

Malia deflates at that, feeling like a weight’s being lifted from her chest that someone else knows how she feels.

“I just- I’m afraid they don’t feel the same way, you know?”

“I know. But I think you have nothing to worry about.” Dominique says as she arranges some orange slices over a cake.

Malia takes that in and thinks about how she’s been feeling for the past few days. How close they’ve been getting, all three of them. In a way, she knows Dominique is right. She’s also terrified about her being wrong, but then and there, she makes a decision. She’ll tell them.

She puts the rolling pin aside and starts refolding the dough on itself.

Tonight, she’ll them tonight.

-

She’s taken Lydia and Kira to their room after dessert and sat them on a bed and told them she has something important to tell them, but now she’s just pacing in front of them, frustrated with herself. Kira looks more worried by the second and Lydia looks annoyed. Eventually, Lydia says, impatiently;

“Alright, just spit it out!”

Malia’s stunned back into action and, as she faces them both, looking from one to the other, she takes a deep breath and just says it.

“I’ve been torn up about this for a while and it feels really complicated, but it really isn’t. I’m in love with you two. And I want to be with you. Both.”

There’s a moment of silence where they’re stunned and Malia’s heart races with anxiety before they look at each other and then back at her and then Kira says

“We’ve, uh, actually been talking for a little while about how we both have feelings for you and we want to be in a relationship with you. We just didn’t know how to tell you.”

Malia’s heart skips a beat at that and she looks at them, unbelieving.

“Are you serious?” she looks to Kira, who nods, then Lydia, who gets up and wraps her in her arms. Malia holds her and lets out a sigh, laughing a little, relieved. She holds out her hand for Kira, who takes it in hers and then circles her arms around both Lydia and her.

 

-

Malia breathes in a lungful of cold air as she approaches the border of pine trees on the edge of the property. With a rumble in her chest, she walks faster, her boots digging into the light snow easily. When she’s disappeared through the pines, unseen to everyone inside the cottage, she sprints.

Running makes her feel wild again, makes her feel alive and simple. She runs until she reaches deeper into the woods to where the trees are closer together and where she hears and smells animals all around her. There’s less snow on the ground here. She pauses beneath a tall fir, takes off all of her clothes and places every item on a low branch and leaves her boots on the ground. She takes a moment to stand naked in the cold air, freezing, letting out a visible puff of breath. She shivers as she crouches down, her fingertips and toes digging into the needle covered floor, before letting herself focus and concentrate on shifting.

Feeling her body shift is like coming home. She shakes her fur and is filled with a joy as she remembers the feeling she hasn’t quite forgotten. After giving out a happy yelp, she sprints off in the direction of the cottage. The trees around her blur as she races through the woods, the sound of her paws thumping rapidly on the snow fill her ears. It’s not quite like at home, in California, what with the snow and the altogether different vegetation and wildlife, but it’s a good kind of new. It’s invigorating.

She slows down to a prance at the border of the forest and stops to howl quickly before making her way towards the cottage. She avoids the front of the cottage and goes to the side facing the lake, where she’ll be able to see Lydia and Kira in their room. And there they are, sitting on one of the beds, Lydia reading a book while Kira plays in her hair. Malia takes a moment to take in her girlfriends in this quiet scene. They look so peaceful and content. She yelps at them happily, jumping around a little, tail wagging.

Kira looks up first, a smile blooming on her face as she recognizes Malia’s shining blue eyes. Kira’s hands having stilled in her hair, Lydia looks up to Kira and then, seeing Kira look out the window, she looks too and giggles when she sees Malia. They both wave and Malia gives into yelping and bouncing around happily. Inside, Lydia and Kira are laughing, probably thinking Malia’s silly. She yips a last time at them and watches them wave goodbye as she turns around and sprints back towards the forest, happy.


End file.
